Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who followed his father into politics and represented Newark in Congress for more than a decade, died Wednesday — nearly three weeks after suffering a heart attack that had left him in a coma. He was 65.
Payne, a Democrat, had represented the Garden State’s 10th Congressional District, which includes the cities of Newark and Orange, since 2012 after his father, also Donald Payne, had died earlier the same year.
The elder Donald Payne had represented the majority-black district since 1989.
In a statement, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he was “deeply saddened” by Payne’s death.
“With his signature bowtie, big heart, and tenacious spirit, Donald embodied the very best of public service,” Murphy said, adding: “It was my great honor to work side-by-side with Donald to build a stronger and fairer New Jersey, and we will hold his memory close to our hearts as we build upon the Payne family’s deep legacy of service in advocating for the communities they served so dearly.”
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